Getachew Bayable Tiruneh

Researcher • Bahir Dar University
Dr. Getachew Bayable Tiruneh – Remote Sensing Expert

About

Remote Sensing • Geospatial Analysis • Water Hyacinth Monitoring • Lake Tana Ecosystem • Machine Learning • Drought Prediction • Land Use Dynamics

Dr. Getachew Bayable Tiruneh (PhD)

Dr. Getachew Bayable Tiruneh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Management at the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia (since April 2025).

He recently completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis (GIS & Remote Sensing Applications) at Soka University, Japan (2025), funded by the MEXT Scholarship. His dissertation focused on the spatiotemporal variability of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its impacts on the Lake Tana ecosystem using remote sensing technology.

As a Graduate Research Assistant at Soka University (2022–2025) and Research Assistant in the SATREPS EARTH Project (funded by JST/JICA, 2022–2025), he contributed to environmental and agricultural research under Japan–Ethiopia collaboration.

Previously, he served as Lecturer and Researcher at Bahir Dar University (2019–2022), Oda Bultum University (2017–2019), and Haramaya University (2014–2017), where he taught and researched land administration, surveying, and natural resource management.

With 13 peer-reviewed publications (58% in Q1 journals), an h-index of 8, and a Research Interest Score of 254.1, his work advances remote sensing applications in environmental monitoring, drought prediction, and ecosystem sustainability.

Key Research Interests

  • Remote sensing and geospatial analysis for environmental monitoring
  • Land administration, cadastral surveying, and urban and regional land-use planning
  • Climate change impacts on water resources, drought prediction, and hydrological modeling
  • Application of machine learning to ecological and environmental data
  • Land use/cover dynamics, tropical forest change, and ecosystem services
  • Spatiotemporal modeling of vegetation-climate-hydrology interactions in vulnerable ecosystems

Awards & Affiliations

Gold Medal – Academic Excellence (2013)
MEXT Scholarship (2022–2025)
SATREPS EARTH Project Member (2022–Present)

Advising & Supervision

  • • Supervision of 1 MSc student
  • • Co-supervision of 1 PhD student
  • • Examiner for 3 MSc theses

International Experience & Visits

  • • Japan, Soka University
  • • Greece, Athens
  • • Tanzania, Zanzibar

Journal Peer Reviewer

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Core Expertise

Advanced integration of remote sensing, machine learning, and geospatial technologies for environmental monitoring, drought prediction, and ecosystem management.

Technical Expertise

  • • Remote sensing data processing (satellite imagery, time-series analysis)
  • • Machine learning algorithms for classification and prediction
  • • Geospatial modeling (land use/cover, drought indices, vegetation dynamics)
  • • Hydrological and environmental impact assessment
  • • Water hyacinth detection and biomass quantification

Software & Programming

  • • ArcGIS, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, ENVI, ERDAS Imagine
  • • Python, R, MATLAB
  • • Jupyter Notebook, Visual Studio Code

Research Focus Areas

  • • Spatiotemporal variability of invasive species (water hyacinth)
  • • Land administration, cadastral surveying, and urban and regional land-use planning
  • • Impact on water quality, temperature, and ecosystem services
  • • Vegetation drought monitoring and teleconnection factors
  • • Land surface temperature and soil moisture analysis
  • • Drought prediction using indices like PDSI

Education & Professional Journey

Education

PhD, Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis (GIS & Remote Sensing)

Soka University, Japan

Dissertation: Spatiotemporal Variability Analysis of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Its Impact on the Lake Tana Ecosystem Using Remote Sensing Technology

MSc, Remote Sensing

Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

BSc, Land Administration and Surveying

Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

Awarded Gold Medal for Academic Excellence as one of the top graduates.

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor

Department of Natural Resource Management, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Soka University, Japan

Lecturer and Researcher

Department of Natural Resource Management, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

Lecturer and Researcher

Department of Land Administration and Surveying, Oda Bultum University, Ethiopia

Assistant Lecturer

Department of Land Administration and Surveying, Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Graduate Assistant II

Department of Land Administration and Surveying, Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Projects and Research Grants

Contributing to environmental research through grants and international collaborations.

Projects

SATREPS EARTH Project
2022–2025

SATREPS EARTH Project

Japan–Ethiopia Collaboration

Research Assistant contributing to environmental and agricultural research initiatives (funded by JST/JICA).

Focus: Lake Tana Ecosystem
Learn More

Research Grants

GIS and Participatory-Based Suitable Waste Disposal Site Selection

Chiro Town, West Hararge Zone, Ethiopia • 90,000 Ethiopian Birr

Funded by Oda Bultum University (2017–2019)

Funding: Oda Bultum University

Analyzing the Impact of Climate Change on Crop Production

West Hararge Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia • 85,000 Ethiopian Birr

Funded by Oda Bultum University (2019–2020)

Funding: Oda Bultum University

Research & Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Manuscripts Under Review

1

Bayable, G., Melaku, Mekonnen, M., Melese, T.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Water Use Efficiency and Its Drivers in the Gilgel Abay Watershed, Ethiopia

Ecohydrology • Under review
2

Melese, T., W/Senbet, S., Bayable G., Fon, U.N.

Spatial Modelling of Psychological Resilience in Climate-Vulnerable Communities: Evidence from Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Global Challenges • Under review

Manuscripts in Preparation

1

Bayable, G., Mekonnen, M., Legesse, S. A., Ishikawa, K., Sato, S., Melese, T., & Kuwahara, V. S.

Spatiotemporal variability of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and its impact on water loss and surrounding land surface temperature in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

Manuscript ready for submission
2

Bayable, G., Mekonnen, M., Legesse, S. A., Ishikawa, K., Sato, S., Melese, T., & Kuwahara, V. S.

Quantifying water hyacinth biomass and morphological characteristics in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

Manuscript in preparation

Conference Abstracts

2024 – Impact of water hyacinth infestation on water quality parameters in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

IEEE IGARSS 2024, Athens, Greece

2023 – Spatiotemporal variability analysis of surface water temperature and water quality parameters in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

6th IPCB2023, Singapore

2023 – Characterization and application of GCOM-C bio-optical products in oceanic, coastal, and inland waters

JAXA Joint Meeting, Tokyo, Japan

2023 – Characterization and application of GCOM-C bio-optical products in oceanic, coastal, and inland waters

6th ISEE Symposium, Nagoya, Japan

2024 – Spatiotemporal variability of sea surface temperature and Chl-a in the coastal waters of Sagami Bay

2nd UN Ocean Decade Regional Conference, Bangkok, Thailand

2024 – Monitoring coastal ocean ecosystem climate change using GCOM-C and in situ bio-optical observations

16th AOGEO Symposium, Tokyo, Japan

2024 – Study on image recognition of water hyacinth in Lake Tana using satellites and drones

Japanese Society of Limnology Kumamoto Conference

2021 – Spatiotemporal variability of agricultural drought and its association with climatic variables in the Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia

9th Annual National Research Conference, Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia

2020 – Analyzing time series variation of vegetation cover and its association with climate variability: The case of Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia

4th National Conference, Mekelle University, Ethiopia

2018 – Evaluating the association between climate variability (ENSO) and vegetation dynamics by using remote sensing techniques: The case of Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia

5th Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Forestry Society, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Global Scientific Collaboration Network

Research & co-authorship network centered at Bahir Dar University
with Dr. Getachew Bayable Tiruneh as central hub (2018–2026)

Network active in: 2026

Central Research Hub

Hub Dr. Getachew Bayable Tiruneh (PhD)
Base Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia

Key Collaborators & Co-authors

Prof. Victor S. Kuwahara – Soka University, Japan (PhD supervisor & frequent co-author)
Dr. Mulatie Mekonnen – Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia (co-author & collaborator)
Dr. Getachew Workineh Gella – Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria (reference)
Dr. Temesgen Gashaw Tarkegn – Prairie View A&M University, USA (reference)
Dr. Anwar Assefa Adem – Prairie View A&M University, USA (reference)
Ji Cai – Soka University, Japan (co-author on Lake Tana papers)
Solomon Addisu Legesse – Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia (co-author)
Dr. Kanako Ishikawa – Lake Biwa Environmental Research Institute, Japan (co-author)
Prof. Shinjiro Sato – Soka University, Japan (co-author & collaborator)
Hiroki Imamura – Soka University, Japan (co-author on machine learning papers)

CONTACT GETACHEW BAYABLE

Remote Sensing • Environmental Monitoring • Collaboration